I am in a summer resort area and my STR listing is a separate guest apartment on my hobby farm. I am also a landlord for a regular long-term apartment rental in a nearby town. Coming from a long term rental background, I am very attuned to screening applicants for my apartments, and am very aware of the damage and costs bad tenants can cause. I am also aware that people who need housing often misrepresent themselves, and wise landlords play detective to separate the good tenants from the bad.
The whole AirBnB platform (possibly the whole industry) glosses over these risks. When I signed up for AirBnB (as a guest), all I had to do was provide a credit card number and a photo of my ID. I did not need to agree to a credit, eviction, or criminal background check, or provide verification of my income or a hefty security deposit -- all standard in the long term rental market.
As winter approached, I know there are people in my area who "camp out" all summer long, but look for housing in the winter. My first booking this fall was from a local (per their profile) who claimed they were only in town to visit their kids, but the wife had to leave to go to work. Huh? Their story made no sense. They stayed their 4 days, were fine guests, left a 5 star review. They did however leave a handwritten note asking to rent my apartment for the rest of the winter.
My STR only provides extra income, I do not depend on the income for my livelihood. I am not interested in renting my guest apartment out during the off season -- too expensive to heat and I would probably get sued if a guest slipped on the ice. My target market are happy vacationing families who want a farm experience for their kids, between time at the lake or our local theme park. I have not lowered my price, I blocked out the winter months, only allow one week stays.
AirBnB could solve many of the guest problems by insituting a "preferred guest" program, similar to Superhost. Preferred guests would have a more comprehensve background and credit check. They would also have to have a certain number of 5 star reviews and not cancel trips at the last minute. Hosts would know that their properties would be well cared for and hosts could lower prices and still make money.